South Sudan’s peacebuilding minister, Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, has been arrested by the National Security Service, marking a significant disruption in the peace process amid ongoing violence in Nasir. The situation escalates following accusations against Machar’s forces of collaborating with militias and previous arrests of other officials linked to Machar.
South Sudan’s peacebuilding minister has been arrested by local forces, a development confirmed by Vice President Riek Machar’s spokesperson on Thursday. This arrest comes as a significant setback to the country’s already precarious peace process, especially following recent detentions of other senior officials affiliated with Machar. “The National Security Service (NSS) has struck again, arresting Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, Minister of Peacebuilding… from his office a few minutes ago,” said spokesperson Puok Both Baluang via social media platform X.
The backdrop to these arrests includes fierce clashes in recent weeks within the strategic northern town of Nasir, where national forces have engaged in combat with the White Army militia, an armed group largely composed of Nuer individuals, which is Machar’s ethnic group. The White Army previously allied with Machar’s forces during the civil war from 2013 to 2018 against predominantly Dinka troops loyal to President Salva Kiir.
Additionally, Information Minister Michael Makuei made accusations on Wednesday, alleging that Machar’s forces worked alongside the White Army in an assault on a military garrison near Nasir earlier in the week. He failed to provide further comments regarding the arrest of Kuol, who played a crucial role in negotiations leading to the 2018 peace deal aimed at ending the civil war.
Earlier this week, the vice presidency had already announced the arrests of Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol from Nasir and deputy army chief Gabriel Doup Lam, among others, indicating a broader crackdown on officials allied with Machar.
The arrest of South Sudan’s peacebuilding minister and other officials linked to Vice President Riek Machar poses a significant challenge to the fragile peace process in the country. Heightened tensions following recent violent clashes in Nasir and allegations of collusion between Machar’s forces and the White Army further complicate the political landscape, jeopardizing the hard-won progress established in the 2018 peace agreement.
Original Source: www.straitstimes.com
